Sports director Marin Rozić and coach Ivan Rudež are assembling a roster for a three-front season, despite criticism from some fans and a challenging schedule of three games per week.
Preparations for the new season at Cibona haven't even started yet, but things are already in full swing under the Tornje. Sports director Marin Rozić, in collaboration with coach Ivan Rudež, has done the lion's share of the work assembling a team that will have to endure a demanding season on three fronts. Despite initial doubts, the core of last season's championship team has been retained, and some notable reinforcements have been brought in.
The club has parted ways with two key players: Žan Mark Šiško is continuing his career in Udine, while Justin Roberson has moved to Romanian side Valcea. In an inappropriate manner, as Telegram.hr reports, captain Krešimir Radovčić also experienced a departure, being informed upon the expiration of his contract that there was no place for him in the new plans. However, numerous extensions followed: Kamaka Hepa, Renato Serdarušić, Vigo Bart, Marjan Čakarun, and Borna Katanović remain at the club. Jan Palokaj is also on the list, although he faces a long layoff due to a severe ankle injury sustained in the decisive game of last season's finals in Zadar.
The bulk of the work involved bringing in reinforcements, with well-known domestic faces leading the way. Standard national team guard Roko Badžim has returned to Cibona after several very good seasons in Turkey and is expected to be a reliable shooting option. Lovro Mazalin is beginning his third stint at Dražen's Home, after being used as a power forward by Josip Sesar in the 2022/23 season, he has developed into one of the best centers in the ABA League over the past three seasons in Zadar. The third returnee is Lovro Gnjidić, who played the best basketball of his career in the Vukovi jersey. From Split, Antonio Sikirić, one of the most promising young Croatian wings, has also arrived, although he struggled with consistency in Gripe.
The main quality bearers, however, will be the foreigners, with two Americans having arrived so far. Rickey McGill, a 29-year-old guard, given his physical attributes and European experience, should be a worthy replacement for Šiško, although he is a different type of playmaker. His 26-year-old compatriot Khalifa Battle, who played for Italian side Trento in the league and EuroCup last season, brings intensity on both ends of the floor and is considered a potent asset for the perimeter.
The current roster numbers 12 players, including the injured Palokaj, which is insufficient for a brutal campaign that brings three games per week. Ideally, having 15 players available would be best, with at least three more additions, a combo guard, a versatile wing, and a classic center. Only with such depth can coach Rudež maneuver through the sea of challenges posed by strong opponents, lack of training time, fatigue, and injuries. Due to the demanding schedule, there was even initial consideration of creating a second team that would play only in the domestic league.
Some fans have sharply criticized the management for returning to the regional competition. Last season, Cibona was relegated from the ABA League and unsuccessfully lobbied for a wildcard, after which the management decided to turn its back on regional competitions by canceling its participation in the Second ABA League just before the start of the competition. After the championship season, rumors emerged that Cibona was headed for a spot in the EuroCup under the Euroleague umbrella, but that a return to the ABA League was a prerequisite. In the end, it turned out that the Vukovi would not play in the EuroCup but in FIBA's Champions League, where they were placed in a group with Galatasaray, Strasbourg, and Legia. The club explained that the return to the ABA League was the desire of the new owner, and they did not want to give up the Champions League because the qualification was earned on the court.
Although this has drawn the ire of some fans, due to paying the ABA League invitation fee and losing the HKS incentive for the Champions League, it is clear that Cibona has decided to follow its own interests this time. Using the lyrics of the song Their System Doesn't Work for You by Anti-Flag, they convey that they are not interested in the HKS vision because last season convinced them that the system does not work for a club of their stature:
"Don't believe what they say is true / Their system doesn't work for you / You can be what you want to be / Don't have to choose!"
Last season was contradictory, it began with euphoria over the return to Europe, only to be followed by elimination in mid-November, and then half a year of mechanically playing domestic games that few cared about. The return to the ABA League, as Telegram.hr explains, is a natural move: Cibona returns to the company it belongs to, where, with a competitive roster, it will have continuity of quality games throughout the season.
